The Post-Christian Episcopal Church

Here are some excerpts from George Conger's story in the Church of England Newspaper on the recent ceremony held in Los Angles that sum up this story.

First, we note that this was the ordination of the church's second practicing homosexual bishop. The denomination has many divorced bishops, some divorced multiple times, as well as closet homosexuals. But this was a celebration of Mary Glasspool's homosexuality.

US Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has consecrated the Episcopal Church’s second ‘gay’ bishop, Canon Mary Glasspool, as suffragan bishop of Los Angeles.

Second, we see the mixture of pagan and Christian symbols in the liturgy expressing the post-Christian, neo-pagan nature of the Episcopal Church.

In a colorful three-hour ceremony that incorporated traditional Episcopal symbols and liturgy with shamanism and a mosaic of ethnic and cultural motifs, Bishop Jefferts Schori consecrated Canon Glasspool and the Rev. Diane Jardin Bruce on May 15.

Third, the forlorn and misguided efforts of the church to reach out to homosexuals by affirming the homosexual lifestyle were on full display. They tried having the ceremony next door to a "Gay Pride" event and invited the participants.

Held in the 13,500 seat Long Beach Arena, the consecrations coincided with the nearby 27^th annual Long Beach Pride Festival, a gay and lesbian community event. Invitations to the 70,000-member Diocese of Los Angeles welcomed all comers, saying 6,700 seats would be set up for the service. The Episcopal News Service reports 3000 people attended the gathering.

Fourth, the homily was an attack on Christian tradition.

In an oblique criticism of conservative Anglican objections, Bishop Bruno stated that “We, as bishops of this church, are called to be exemplars of Jesus’ presence in this world. We are called to teach people and bring them to a place of self understanding so that they do not, out of fear or anxiety or fear of change, become ideological idolaters of the past.”

This ceremony pretty much sums up the state of liberal Protestantism, as exemplified by The Episcopal Church, today. It has embraced sexual sin, adopted religious pagan practices, become smaller and more irrelevant and attacked Christian tradition as "idolatry."

Is there any future for such a religion? One is reminded of the last days of Israel as depicted in the Old Testament as the nation staggered toward judgment seemingly unaware that it had become the problem and ceased to be part of God's solution. The difference is that Liberal Protestantism is not the whole of the Christian Church today. Liberal Protestantism can fail and die and the Church of Jesus Christ can simply go on without it.